4 Tips to Improve Home Ventilation


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When summer temperatures are high, many of us shut the windows and doors and crank up the AC. Makes sense, right? It turns out, this may not be the smartest move. It’s expensive and less effective than you might think. So, what should you do instead?

Try improving the ventilation of your home. A home that is correctly ventilated can “breathe” better, making it easier to regulate summer temperatures without overburdening your cooling unit. Better ventilation also improves the quality of the air inside your home. Here are four things you can do to improve your home’s ventilation:

1. Ceiling Fans

A good ceiling fan can work wonders in the effort to stay cool inside. When the ceiling fan is running, you can increase the thermostat as much as 4 degrees without discomfort. That’s a lot less work for your AC unit, and a lot less in cooling costs too. By design, a ceiling fan generates a circulating air draft in the room it serves. Just make sure that in the summer months, you change the fan’s directional rotation setting to run counterclockwise. This “summer” setting will push air down into the room, instead of pulling it upward.

2. Exhaust Fans

It’s a good idea to utilize exhaust fans in areas of the home where heat and moisture occur. This is common in bathrooms, laundry rooms, and kitchens. Exhaust fans draw the heat and moisture out of the room, expelling it outdoors through the ventilation system. Removing heat is an effective, and less expensive way to keep the temperature down.

3. Windows

It goes without saying, but windows are an excellent way to improve ventilation in a home. In our hot summers, try to use this option in the early or late hours of the day. If you can take advantage of a breeze, that’s even better.

4. Dehumidifier

If humidity is augmenting the heat in your home, try using a dehumidifier to reduce the water content in the air.

At Wells Plumbing, Heating, and Air Conditioning, our team of friendly technicians are ready to help. If you need plumbing, heating, or AC service, call us to schedule an appointment at (951) 375-6856.